The Freeborne | Peak Impressions | (Monitor) 1968

The Freeborne – “Peak Impressions” (Monitor Records MPS (C) 607) 1968

The Freeborne | Peak Impressions | (Monitor) 1968 | It takes a couple of plays to really get into what they are doing. At first listen they almost sound like everybody else. All of the cuts are original and totally free of all the basic rules of rock. Most of the things on the album work very well. The ones that don’t are the studio gimmicks on some of the vocals.

Lew’s drumming is very steady throughout. Mike is by far the most advanced musically. Just listen to his piano work on “Land of Diana”. “Images” is great and “Hurtin’ Kind of Woman” is a very nice blues piece. “But I Must Return to Frenzy” has some strange trumpet licks by Mike. When you hear it two or three times you’ll understand what he’s doing.

“Sadly Acknowledged” is a war protest complete with machine gun and bomb sound effects. “Yellow Sky” could have been their single.

The Freeborne do not fit in any one bag but give you the feeling that they can play anything that they want. As a concert act, they are excellent because of their musical virtuosity. Throughout their set they constantly change instruments which is a very effective visual thing.

Their album “Peak Impressions” will probably be a sleeper. Given time and exposure, it could develop into a giant in a totally new direction of classical rock. L.S.

Line-up:
Nick Carstou (guitar, recorder, cello, vocals)
Dave Codd (harpsichord, bass, percussion, vocals)
Mike Spiros (organ, piano, chimes, trumpet)
Bob Margolin (lead guitar)
Lew Lipson (drums, percussion)

More Freeborne on Monocled Alchemist.

The Freeborne | Peak Impressions | (Monitor) 1968

THE FREEBORNE Peak Impressions (Monitor MPS 607) 5/68

Much of the material on this Boston-based group’s dreamy, moody album has a light jazz base, with melancholy, minor-key melodies, baroque flourishes, effective, well-balanced vocals and acid imagery. The songwriting is unusually cerebral and poetic. Virtually every track is of interest.

The highlights include the adrenaline-fuelled title track (surely one of the greatest songs about an LSD trip ever recorded), ‘Images’ and ‘Land of Diana’, which builds to an astonishing organ and guitar freakout before ending abruptly with a short burst of acapella singing. The contrast is bizarre, but very effective.

Side two pales slightly, but still of an unusually high standard, creating psychedelic textures with instruments other than the standard lead guitar and organ. Highly recommended. (SC)